PROSPECT PARK — The Interboro School Board voted to appoint Interim Superintendent Bernadette Reiley as the district’s permanent superintendent at a public meeting Wednesday night. Reiley had been serving on an interim basis since the post was vacated by the resignation of Jack Cleghorn earlier this year.

“Bernadette Reiley has served the district for a number of years,” Board President Brian Razzi said prior to the vote. “Through hard work and dedication she has worked her way to a leadership position. ... Her leadership style has earned her the respect and admiration of this board.”

Reiley has been working in the Interboro School District for nearly 20 years. She began as a teaching assistant, then became a long-term sub at the Glenolden School. She then taught at Norwood School for 10 years, followed by a year as dean of Tinicum School. She moved on to become principal of the Kindergarten Academy and had been serving as director of curriculum for the district for the last two years.

The school board voted 7-1 to appoint Reiley to the position, effective immediately, through Sept. 17, 2016, at a salary of $168,754 per year, plus benefits. Board member William Taggart voted against Reiley’s appointment, saying that he was unhappy that the board didn’t follow through with a search through the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. He added that he would have supported Reiley if that process had been completed. Board member Phyllis Floyd abstained from the vote.

Reiley received a hearty standing ovation from the audience after being appointed, and was sworn-in by Delaware County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Joseph P. Cronin with her husband, Tom, holding the Bible.

“I would like to thank the board for their support over the last few months,” Reiley said at the end of the meeting. “This is not an easy position and learning things has taken some time despite all of my years in the district.”

Reiley’s appointment ends a tumultuous time in the Interboro School District’s administration. Nancy Hacker left the district in July 2012 for a job in another district. Former Interboro superintendent Dr. Ed Sacchetti was appointed to fill the superintendent’s job on an interim basis the next month, and also to conduct a search for a new permanent superintendent. He resigned from his interim post in December 2012, and Jack Cleghorn, a retired Ridley School District administrator, was appointed to take over on an interim basis. Cleghorn resigned in May 2013, and Reiley was appointed to fill in on an interim basis.

Having a superintendent locked in to a long-term contract is a welcome relief to Razzi, who made filling open administrative positions a priority when he assumed the board presidency in December 2012.

“I’m happy that the board was able to accomplish our goal, which was to fill all of our open cabinet positions and the superintendent’s position,” Razzi said following the meeting. “Now I feel we can focus on getting the test scores up.”

Reiley received words of support from several board members during the meeting.

“I have no doubt that she will lead this district forward,” board member Paul Eckert said.

“I’d like to give my personal thanks to Mrs. Reiley for taking on this challenging position,” board member Anne Krajewski said. “We really do appreciate her sticking with us for the long haul.”

“She is very deserving of this position,” board member William Phelps said.

Reiley expressed her gratitude to the board members for their faith in her and their patience as she grew into her new position. She was also very thankful for the administrative team that has come together over the last few months.

“We are a very cohesive group,” Reiley said of the department heads and school principals, many of whom are also new in their roles with the district, but who, like Reiley, have moved up through the Interboro ranks. “Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do the job. With them, I know we are moving forward.”

Reiley reflected on her journey from teaching assistant to superintendent, saying that attending recent back-to-school events has been a little frightening for her.

“The scary thing is that I’ve been going to back-to-school nights and seeing kids that I taught are now married and have kids of their own in the Interboro School District,” she said.

She said that the board’s support has been and will continue to be instrumental in the success of the district.

“I think that the board has been extremely supportive,” Reiley said. “It’s been a rough process, but they’ve been very supportive in getting all of the administrative positions filled, especially in getting them filled by people from within the district.”

She said the completed team can do great things for the district despite the rough terrain facing public schools.

“We have some challenges moving forward,” she said. “When you have the right people in the right places you can move forward.”

Aside from Reiley’s elevation to superintendent, the board also filled the final cabinet-level vacancy Wednesday night. Dr. Valerie Eckman, who had been serving as assistant principal at Interboro High School, was promoted to be the director of curriculum and instruction, the post vacated when Reiley moved up to become interim superintendent in May. Eckman’s promotion is effective Friday, Sept. 19.